When Grendel speaks of unferth and says I could crush him like a fly (89)
what literary device is being used
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"I could crush him like a fly" is a simile because it is a comparison. The comparison is made between the inferiority of the fly and the humongous power of a human compared to a fly.
A human can crush a small creature like a fly if he wants to. Similarly, Grendel thinks he can defeat and kill Beowulf if he wants to. This is actually an expression of Grendel's wrath and over-confidence.
It is an example of a figurative language as this expression is not to be taken literally. It is written to convey the power and wrath of Grendel and not about the fly.
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